Caught a report on FoxNews yesterday which centered on a manufacturer of solar panels in Massachusetts. This business was being hailed as a success story in the new Green Energy sector of American business; a small, American-startup which worked with state and federal authorities to get some financing (tax credits, low-interest loans and so forth), and then provided a community with 800 jobs. A great story, right?
Well, no.
Because that business is packing up and moving some of it's jobs...to China.
Why?
According to the Chief-Cook-and-Bottlewasher (paraphrasing);
"We can't compete because US demand for Solar Energy is down, and the Chinese have made a commitment (i.e. given us a much better bribe) to becoming the Green Energy capital of the world."
Well, the reason the 'demand for solar power' is down is because the demand for all energy is down. That happens in a recession, you idiot. Besides, solar power is more expensive that the dirty stuff that comes out of coal-fired plants, and that makes it even less attractive. In the realm of real-world economics, you would either go out of business, or have to find something else to do. Your response makes you sound as if you believe you have a right to stay in business, making a product fewer people want, while still making a hefty profit, funded by the taxpayer and the bank with more tax breaks and more cheap credit forever.
Here's a guy who gets free fucking money -- operating in an industry all the Earth-firsters claim is going to be the next Industrial Revolution, no less -- and he says he can't stay in business without a massive infusion of (free-to-nearly-free capital), tax breaks, and direct government subsidies. But in this day-and-age when automakers making crap for two decades can expect taxpayers to bail them out, or insurance companies that make risky investments and banks that waste money stupidly can still pay massive bonuses to under-performing executives, with taxpayer funds, how could we blame him for harboring such a stupid idea?
Naturally, when he can't get those things, he'll simply move to China. There, he will enjoy the added bonuses of not having to deal with labor and environmental laws -- not to mention shedding the responsibility of having to pay for any benefits whatsoever --after already having taken the taxpayer for the cash to start and establish his business, he now offers the same taxpayer (and his employees) a hale-and-hearty "Fuck You".
And a bunch of people in Massachusetts lose their jobs, adding to the general economic misery in New England. Incidentally, this is an example of exactly what those who adocate for the Green Energy industry want; the innovation and investment will occur in the West, financed by the Western taxpayer, the actual production and employment will occur in the East. The West will lose moneyand see it's economy shrink, the East will gain jobs and it's economy will rise to meet that of the West, the playing field will be evened, and that's how World Socialism will be brought about --- in the guise of Capitalism.
The 2010 midterms cannot come fast enough, if only because they represent a shred of hope that some people who understand economics will come to the fore, and rescue us from Congresscritters who think their first priority is to ensure the entire country gets a free enema at the Mayo Clinic, rather than fixing the fundamental economic and legal issues that are making us uncompetitive.
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